Legend of Mana takes the openness that has been the
hallmark of
the Seiken Densetsu series and brings it to a new level. It is
completely up to
the player when, how, and even if the stories contained in the game
resolve.
The makeup of the world and the people who exist there are left to the
player
to decide, along with the personality, fighting style and even
appearance of
the hero. While Legend of Mana does provide a very fine role-playing
experience, it’s main flaws spring from the lack of any in-depth
tutorials, the
lack of any real direction as to where to go next, and a lack of the
sort of
over arcing plot that so many RPGamers have come to expect from their
games.

In a nod to Legend of Mana’s predecessors, its combat
system is
nearly identical to the previous Seiken Densetsu games, with a few
inexplicable
alterations. A brief overview; combat takes place in real-time, with
players
and monsters moving on a 3D field. Freedom of movement is nearly
complete – one
must equip a skill to jump and therefore move in true 3D – but for some
inexplicable reason the player can only attack right or left. The hit
area is
wide enough and long enough that an enemy above or below can still be
connected
with, but it makes planning and being certain of hitting one’s foe
somewhat
awkward. Also, while Seiken Densetsu games have always had three
playable
characters, Legend of Mana supports only two players at a time. Perhaps
someone
fears the multi tap?

Level ups are handled in a straightforward fashion, but the game’s
weapon
creation scheme is a wonder to behold. While at first quality results
may be
hard to find, as the player amasses more skill and understanding of the
art of
blacksmithing – and in Legend of Mana it truly is an art form – the
stronger
and stronger weapons he will be able to produce, even learning how to
create
items and weapons that alter the player’s most basic abilities. However,
the
very, very basic tutorial included with the game does little or nothing
to aid
the player in discovering the more advanced techniques of blacksmithing,
Golem
creation, and magical instrument creation. This lack of instruction
makes the
item creation systems appear random and poorly thought out, when in fact
they
are highly complex systems with a great deal of effort put into their
creation
and implementation.

Control in Legend of Mana can be a bit confused at times,
but for
most part is well thought out and implemented. Menus seem a bit overly
complex
– a bit like the game itself – but a bit of learning goes a long way.

With a soundtrack written by the illustrious
Yoko
Shimomura (Super Mario RPG, Kingdom Hearts), what could possibly go
wrong? As
far as I’m concerned, absolutely nothing. Ms. Shimomura’s work has been
consistently fine in the past, and her work on Legend of Mana lends a
mythical,
mysterious air to the surroundings, melding with the beautiful
watercolored
backgrounds and wonderfully designed characters and monsters to create
an
atmosphere steeped in wonder. From the home town of Domina to the
legendary
Mana Tree itself, Legend of Mana’s visuals and music work together with
a
surprising harmony that speaks well not only for the flexibility of the
artists
involved, but also for the skill of the director who brought them all so
perfectly.

Wasn’t there a saying, “Never trust an overweight rabbit”?

While Legend of Mana’s combat system and plots are nothing
new,
it has something of a gem in its incredibly in-depth item creation
schemes.
Still not enough to carry the originality by themselves, these systems
get
something of a boost from the unique and intriguing characters present
in the
stories. Add to that the format of the game – sort of a short-story game
– and
the result is a highly unique experience.

It would be a mistake to treat Legend of Mana as a single
flawless
narrative. There are, in fact, three or four major tales to be told
within the
universe of Legend of Mana; The story of the ancient people of Jumi, and
the
serial murderer who stalks them for their gemstone hearts; A brother and
sister, dragoons to dragons on opposite sides of Light and Dark; A
contest of
wills between a woman and her dying friend over the demon who stole her
heart;
and the overreaching story of the resurrection of the Mana Tree, and
thus the
world. The main character plays more as an extension of the player into
the
game universe than as an actual character taking part in the narrative,
a
feeling enhanced by the main character’s lack of any lines, and
therefore any
development as a character. Your main goal as Mana’s chosen one is to
resurrect
the world from the slumber it was placed in at the end of a great war
millennia
ago. Therefore, the only thing needed to complete the game is to place
the
artifacts that open up new areas, thus resurrecting them. Actually
entering
them and becoming involved with the people who live there is completely
up to
the player.

The stories of Legend of Mana have to do with wide reaching themes,
such as
the acceptance of fate and the redemption of the lost. They tend to
speak for
themselves, but the fact that it’s not necessary – or even, sometimes,
possible
– to complete them all does occasionally fracture the narrative. This
coupled
with the lack of direction the game provides can lead people to believe
that
Legend of Mana might have lost some of its plot somewhere in
translation.

Every part of Legend of Mana was indeed translated, and
translated well. There are no noticeable errors in the script or menus,
and the
dialogue comes off feeling natural and appropriate for the characters
speaking
them. Squaresoft has a history of consistently fine translations, and
Legend of
Mana doesn’t seem to have provided their Localization departments much
of a
problem at all.

In Legend of Mana, it is not possible to see everything
the game
has to offer in one single play through. The completion of certain
events will
preclude the completion of other events. Luckily, the game has an
extensive New
Game + feature which carries over not only your character and his or her
equipment, but also everything he or she did during the last game, all
the
monsters raised and all the items created.

Time to complete is over 10 hours –
after
approximately 10 hours of gameplay, the Mana Sword the artifact which
unlocks
the Mana Tree, becomes available. Entering the Mana Tree starts the
brief chain
of events which will end the game, but the player always has the option
of not
using the Mana Sword or entering the Mana Tree in order to complete more
events
and hear more of the story. The game’s difficulty is Easy – very few
enemies or
even bosses will provide you with much of a threat, especially after
mastering
blacksmithing. However, due to the game’s lack of directions, players
may well
wish to have a player’s guide or FAQ in order to find most of the
events.

It’s best to approach Legend of Mana with a learning
attitude.
Starting a game without reading the manual or investigating any of it
beyond
the main line plots is a recipe for instant dislike. With several main
line
plots, a combat system strongly reminiscent of the earlier games in the
series,
and some of the most beautiful and artistic visuals and sound to be
found on
the PlayStation, Legend of Mana is a game for those with patience, a bit
of
artistic sense, and enough time to blow on The Game That Never Ends.